Water key for trombones and the like



F. N. MEYERS Dec. 12, 1950 WATER KEY FOR TROMBONES AND THE LIKE FiledDec. 13, 1947 INVENTOR.

FRED N. MEYERS ATTORIVEY Patented Dec. 12, 1950 WATER KEY FOR TROMBONESAND THE LIKE Fred N. Meyers, Andover, Ohio, assignor to The H. N. Whiteporation of Ohio Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a cor- Application December13, 1947, Serial No. 7 91,631

7 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to a water key for trombones andthe like.

I A primary object of the invention is to provide a water key which isso mounted and arranged on the trombone as to enable it and its mountingto be made of a fewer number of parts than in conventional practice,whereby the weight of the key and mounting is reduced to a minimum andthe key is placed in a more accessible position in which it can beactuatedsomewhat more easily.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Water key and mountinghaving a spring member, the ends of which are concealed in such a manneras to avoid their bein caught on clothing and other extraneous objects.

- A further object of the invention is to provide a water key havingmeans incorporated therein for limiting the movement of the key to anarc of predetermined length.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a water key andmountingwhich are so designed and arranged relatively to the trombone asto improve the styling, design and appearance of the instrument as awhole.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

' In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and in which like numerals are employed to designate like the same,

Fig. 1 isa side elevational view of a trombone embodying the novel waterkey of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, on approximately full-size scale, of aportion of the trombone shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, as viewed in thedirection indicated by the single arrow in Fig. 2; V v

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale,taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, takenon the line-66 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of Fig. 3, butshowing certain parts in section, and v Fig. 8 is a fragmentarycross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 8-8 ofFig. 2. f

Referring, more particularly to the drawings, reference characters I and2 designate the frame members of a. slide' trombone, which are conpartsthroughout nected together by a cross handle 3, these membershavinginner slideway members (not shown) connected thereto, which aretelescopically movable in tubular members 4 and 5. The members 4 and 5are provided at their inner ends with sleeves 6 and l, which areconnected by a cross handle 8, and are connected at their outer ends bya tubular slide bow or cross-loop 9.

The slide bow or cross-loops has a tubular valve seat member l0 solderedor otherwise secured thereto, which member communicates with theinterior of the loop. The valve seat member ID, it may be noted, lies insubstantially the same plane as the loop 9;-its axis intersecting theaxis of the latter, as apparent from Fig. 8. The valve seat member informs a conduit through which condensed moisture may be evacuated, as byshaking the trombone at intervals.

The valve seat member Hl is normally closed by a water key Ii, providedat one end with a valve or valve plate l2 in which a pad I3 is mounted,this pad bearing against the outer end of the valve seat member.

soldered or otherwise secured to the cross-loop 9, adjacent the valveseat It), is a boss-like mem ber I4, which is of generally-cylindricalformation, with its axis normal to a plane which is common to themembers 4 and 5 and loop 9. The member M has an extension 45 of reduceddiameter, the upper end of which is tubular and internally threaded forthe reception of a screw l6. Extending upwardly from the shoulder orledge H which is formed at the junction of the member M with itsextension I5 is a stop pin l8,

the function of which will be presently explained.

The shoulder I! also has an opening l9 therein, whose function will alsobe presently explained.

The water key I I 'is mounted for pivotal movement about the extensionl5, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and is provided with a tubular extension20 of reduced diameter, which bears against the shoulder II, thejunction of the extension 20 with. the key forming a shoulder 21. Thekey N is maintained in the aforesaidposition by means of the head of thescrew It. A portion of the lower end of the tubular extension 20 isremoved to form a recess 22 having end walls 23 and 24. The stop pin l8extends into this recess.

A coil spring 25 is disposed about the tubular extension 20 of the keyll, being interposed between the shoulder or ledge I 1 and the shoulder2|. In assembling this spring with the other parts of the water key,oneend of the spring is inserted into the opening IS in the ledge l1,after which the key is positioned on the extension I! of the member l4and is secured in place by the screw Hi. The spring is then placed undersufiicient tension to bringthe other end of the spring in front of thekey, as shown in Fig. 7, after which this end of the spring is enteredin an opening 26 in the key M. The tension of the spring thusmaintainsthe key'tl' inaitsxnormal or. closed position, as -shown in Figs.2 a-nd3.

The water key H is provided with a fingerpiece i la, and when it isdesired to open the keyto permit drainage of the moisture contentsof thetrombone, this finger-piece is pressed? by: means of the index finger tocause the key to rotate in clockwise direction irom the position shownin Fig. 2, thereby withdrawing the pad 53 from the valve seat member 19.This action is performed against the tension: of, the spring 25,.

4 boss-like member extending from said instrument, a water key mountedon said member for rotation thereabout, and spring means coiled aboutthe axis of rotation of said key and biasing said key to closedposition, said spring means having the ends thereof concealed from view.

.2;. A musical, instrument, as defined in ,claim 1, in 'wliich one end'of said spriiig'is di'sposed within said member and the other endthereof is disposed within said key.

3. A musicalinstrument, as defined in claim 1, in which said springmeans is a coil spring disposed about a portion. of said key, one end ofsaid springbeing: disposed within an opening in said member and'theother end of said spring is disposed within an opening in said key.

so that when the finger-piece I 5a is released, the

water key H is automatically returned to its closed position.

Tnxordento prevent the key it from being rotatedthrough an excessivelylarge angle, thereby placing: undue tension on the spring 25, the end;

wall 23 f the recess 22 is so positioned. the-tit comesflintc engagementwith the stop-pin: l8. aftertliewater key has been rotated through anarc ofabout30 degrees.

- It should be notedthat the water key rotates about an axis which issubstantially at right angles to the common plane of the parts 4, and

5' of "the trombone, in contra-distinction to con-- ventional practice,in which the water key rotates about an axis which lies in a planeparallel withthe planeof the aforesaid parts. This enablesthekeya'nd'itsmounting to be madeofa fewer number of parts, reducing the-weight'toaiminimum. It also brings the key to a more accessible position, inwhich it can be actuated somewhat m'oreeasily; Moreover, thearrangement'is such as to avoid exposed parts which might catch on otherobjects, and to improvethe styling; design and appearance of theinstrument as a whole; By inserting the ends of the spring into openingsprovided therefor, the possibility of. such ends being caught'inclothing i entirely obviated;

Although the invention has been described with" particular reference toa trombone, it will be understood that it is applicable as well to otherwind instruments, such, for example, as trumpets, cornets, etc.

It is to be understood that the form of my'invention, herewith shown anddescribed, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement, of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or thescope of the subjoined' claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Ida musical instrument, of thewind'type, a"

41. Ina musical instrument of the wind type, a boss-like, memberextending from said instrument, said member having an extension ofreduced diameter, a water key mounted for rotation about said extension,and spring: means, coiled about said key and normally biasing the key toclosed position, said springmeans havlng the ends thereof concealed fromview.

5. An instrument, as defined inclaim 4pm;- which said member has astop-pin extending therefrom, and said key has-a tubular extensionprovided with a recess to accommodate said pin; said recess having anend wall adapted toabut' said pin after the key has'rotatedthrough a predetermined arc. f

6. An instrument, as defined in claim 4; in, which ascrew is providedfor attachment to said extension, said screw adapted to maintain saidkey in mounted position:

7. An instrument, as defined in claim 4, in which one end of'said springisenclosed in said member and the other end is enclosed in-said-key.

I' TRED N. MEYERS;

REFERENCES CITED" The following referencesv are of 'recordim the, fileof this patent Great Britain -1 Jan: 13, 1913

